Ritchie Boys Wiki

Neustadt, Hermann (0555150): Difference between revisions

← Older editNewer edit →
VisualWikitext
Incorporate OCR findings with exact document citations
Document enlisted-to-officer ASN transition
Line 12: Line 12:
|religion=Jewish
|religion=Jewish
|overseas=Y
|overseas=Y
|rank_final=Pfc
|rank_final=First Lieutenant
|certificate=6561
|certificate=6561
|confidence=medium
|confidence=medium
|class_number=17
|class_number=17
|class_display=17
|class_display=17
|specialty=Prisoner of War Interrogation Officer
|battles=Normandy; Northern France; Rhineland
|awards=Purple Heart
|awards_grid=Purple Heart
|awards_ribbons=Ribbon_Purple_Heart_ribbon.png
|awards_ribbon_rows=Ribbon_Purple_Heart_ribbon.png
}}
}}


<div class="soldier-lead">
<div class="soldier-lead">
'''[[Neustadt, Hermann (0555150)|Hermann Neustadt]]''' (1920–1998) was a Ritchie Boy (born Newton; from Germany; Jewish) who trained at Camp Ritchie in class 17.
'''[[Neustadt, Hermann (0555150)|Hermann Neustadt]]''' (1920–1998) was a Ritchie Boy who later served as a first lieutenant and prisoner of war interrogation officer under the name Harvey P. Newton.
</div>
</div>


== Biography ==
== Biography ==
Newton, born Hermann Neustadt on October 4 1920, the son of an upper-middle class, assimilated Jewish family in Breslau (now Wrocaw, Poland). After completing elementary school and a few years of Gymnasium education, Hermann Neustadt chose not to follow in the footsteps of his father due to the rising anti-Semitism in Germany. Like thousands of other Jews, he was sent to the concentration camp in Buchenwald after "Kristallnacht." With the help of the Jewish Committee in Holland, Hermann Neustadt was permitted to practice his new trade on another training farm, Wieringerwaard. In 1944 Hermann Neustadt changed his name to Harvey P. Instead, he decided to join a group of young Jewish people who opted for agricultural training at the Auswanderer-Lehrsgut Groß Breesen, a farm that prepared young people to seek a new life outside Germany. He completed his training, thereby earning a diploma. In 1940 he emigrated to the United States, and worked briefly at the Hyde Park training farm in Virginia before enlisting in the U.S. Newton remained in the army until 1946. In February 1944 he was transferred to the Military Intelligence Training Center at Camp Ritchie, Maryland, due to his fluency in German. There he was trained in interrogation, and worked as an interrogator of German civilians and officers until he was wounded in France in November 1944. Thereafter he worked at the Enemy Prisoners of War Information Bureau. Harvey Newton was promoted several times during his service; by the time he retired from the army in 1946 he had received the rank of First Lieutenant. Harvey Newton returned to school as a beneficiary of the G.I.
Hermann Neustadt served first as an enlisted soldier under ASN 33044875, attaining the rank of private first class. His enlisted record shows Chinese-language Army Specialized Training and German prisoner-of-war interrogation training at Camp Ritchie. He was honorably discharged on 17 June 1944 to accept a commission as a second lieutenant in the Army of the United States.
 
In 1944, a Maryland court approved his change of name from Hermann Neustadt to Harvey P. Newton. His later officer records use ASN 0555150 and identify him as a first lieutenant. His Separation Qualification Record describes him as a prisoner-of-war interrogation officer who interrogated German prisoners and supervised prisoner enclosures, searches, evacuations, and enemy-document examinations. He participated in the Normandy, Northern France, and Rhineland campaigns.
 
The record states that he was wounded by enemy shell fragments near Ingwiller, France, on 30 November 1944, and was later assigned to the Enemy Prisoner of War Information Bureau. He was awarded the Purple Heart and separated from active duty on 2 April 1946.


== Research notes ==
== Research notes ==
* Also Pfc 33044875 ASTP
* Enlisted records identify Hermann Neustadt as ASN 33044875; later officer records identify Harvey P. Newton/Hermann Neustadt as ASN 0555150.
* OCR (93%) of `5784574961564377.jpg` (gallery document) — dated 18 Juno 1944.
* The name-change record connects Hermann Neustadt with Harvey P. Newton.
* OCR (83%) of `5784574941564379.jpg` (gallery document) — dated 29 JANUAPy 1944.
* OCR (82%) of `5784574968231043.jpg` (gallery document) — rank mentioned: Private First Class.
* OCR (81%) of `5784574964897710.jpg` (CERTIFICATE OF) — dated 12 JuL 1944; 1 November 1944.


== Gallery ==
== Gallery ==
Line 78: Line 85:
* [[:File:5784574968231043.jpg|OCR-reviewed Facebook gallery document: 5784574968231043.jpg]]
* [[:File:5784574968231043.jpg|OCR-reviewed Facebook gallery document: 5784574968231043.jpg]]
* [[:File:5784574964897710.jpg|OCR-reviewed Facebook gallery document: 5784574964897710.jpg]]
* [[:File:5784574964897710.jpg|OCR-reviewed Facebook gallery document: 5784574964897710.jpg]]
* [[:File:5784574944897712.jpg|Neustadt enlisted record]]
* [[:File:5784574981564375.jpg|Neustadt honorable-discharge certificate]]
* [[:File:5784574974897709.jpg|Newton Separation Qualification Record]]
* [[:File:5784574954897711.jpg|Neustadt Camp Ritchie certificate]]
* [[:File:5784574938231046.jpg|Neustadt name-change court order]]
* [[:File:5784574958231044.jpg|Newton clinical summary]]
* [[:File:5784574971564376.jpg|Newton record of award of decoration]]
* [[:File:5784574951564378.jpg|Newton military education record]]
Retrieved from "https://ritchieboys.org/wiki/Neustadt,_Hermann_(0555150)"